Power-transmitting means for engines.



N0. 721,995. I PATENTED MAR. 3, 19031 J. G. BLEVNEY.

' POWER TRANSMITTING MEANS FOR ENGINES.

APPLIGATIONIIILED JAN. 29. 1900.

no MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: lNVENTOR:

AS-Wu, wa w v TR: uonms PETERS ca. Pno'mumo WASMNGTON, n. c.

PATENTED MAR. s, 1903.

J. O. BLEVNEY. Y POWER TRANSMITTING MEANS FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1900.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR:

llllmlll' WITNESSES ATTORNEYS THE mums PETERS ca, vuo'roumu, wAsumsmu, c:v c.

PATENTED MAB, 3, 1903.

I. G; BLEVNEY. POWER TRANSMITTING MEANS FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1900.

3 SHBETS-SHEET 3- NO M0133.

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INVENTOR? BY r6 WITNESSES I TORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. BLEVNEY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

POWER-TRANSMITTING MEANS FOR ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 721,995, dated March 3, 1903.

Application filed January 29, 1900. Serial No. 3,138. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BLEVNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Transmitting Means for Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to secure a direct connection between the piston of an engine and a belt for transmitting power therefrom, whereby less poweris lost in friction and a greater power may be obtained for utilization, to reduce the parts ordinarily required for bearings, &c., and to secure a more simple and compact structure and to save the room heretofore required for the engine and power-transmitting means, to facilitate the operation of stopping the powertransmitting means and reversing the direction of movement of the same,-and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the Working parts.

The invention consists in the improved power-transmitting means for engines and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved engine, certain of the parts being shown in section, V Fig. 2 is a plan of the device. Fig. 3 is a section of the same, taken at line wand looking in the direction of the arrow. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail sectional views of the gripping-head of the piston, taken through line 2', Fig. .7, and showing the gripping means in three different positions, Fig. 4 showing said means out of operative engagement with the belt, Fig. 5 showing the gripping, means in operative relation with the belt, and Fig. 6 showing said means in reverse position from what is shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail plan showing a portion of the piston-head connected with means for changing the gripping means, and Fig. Sis a view showing more clearly in elevation a certain reversing-lever and means for holding the same in position.

In said drawings, a indicates a bed-plate, which may be the flooring of an automobile vehicle. bis a casting in which is formed the power piston-cylinder b, the main valve-cylinder b and a governing valve-cylinder b This casting may be and preferably is formed in one integral piece of metal; but under some conditions this part may be cast in two provided with gripping means adapted to'engage an endless belt 07, the gripping means being arranged and disposed to grip the said belt as the piston moves outward under the power of the steam or fluid and to release from gripping engagement with said belt automatically when the said piston makes its return or inward movement when a single grip-dog is employed, and when two such dogs are employed to grip and release from said belt alternately at the beginning of each movement of the piston. The said belt 01 is so arranged as to convert the reciprocal movement of the piston into a continuous movement in one direction, whereby the pulley b or other mechanism driven by the said belt will be given a continuous movement.

An arrangement of the belt preferred for the purposes of this case in its relation to the piston-rod is shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2, 3, in which figures the cylinder head 19 through which the piston-rod extends, is provided at its outer side with a threaded extension b and on said threaded extension is secured a frame 12 the frame being so arranged in relation to the cylinder head that said frame is permitted a limited oscillation on said threaded extension, whereby the frame (ii dd may be accommodated to any vibration in the body of the vehicle or the bearings ofthe power-pulley b to which movement is transmitted. On said frame 11 are arranged idle pulleys L, b and b and at the end of the frame toward the cylinder 1) and above said frame and cylinder is arranged an idle pulley b, which rotates on an axis lying at right angles to the axes of the pulleys 1) b and below the frame b is a driving-pulley 19 to which the belt (1 imparts its power, the said driving-pulley being upon the axle of the vehicle or otherwise disposed to impart power to the machine or device to be operated.

The relation of the driving-pulley b upon the axle of the vehicle to the cylinder disposed upon the body of the vehicle, the said body of the vehicle being ordinarily seated upon springs, is such as to permit an independence of movement or vibration of the body without producing any slackness in the belt, and this is secured by having the belt stretched from the pulley b on the axle to the idle pulley b held at a definite distance from the driving-pulley b in a direction at right angles to the direction of that portion of the belt which receives its motion from the piston. Thus the independence of movement of the cylinder due to its vibration with the body of the vehicle is taken up or provided for by movement of the belt on its pulleys without any unloosening of the belt or stretching the same on its pulleys. I do not care, however, to confine myself to the peculiar arrangement of the belt shown, as other arrangements can be employed without departure from the invention.

The pulleys I) b are so arranged in relation to the pulley b that the endless belt d is given parallel extensions d d moving in opposite directions.

Upon the outside extremity of the piston c is the gripping-head thereof, 0. This head consists of a frame-like structure having cheek pieces c 0 fastened or integrally joined to the opposite ends of a cross-bar 0 which may be fastened on or integrally joined to the end of the piston 0. Between the said cheek-pieces c are arranged eccentric gripping-dogs c c, the journals or pivotal extensions of which are arranged in said cheek-pieces, the journal at one end of each of said dogs extending through the contiguous cheek-pieces and being transversely slotted at their extremities, as at o, as shown in Fig. 1, to receive torsional or flexible springs e, which latter extend to the means for controlling the movement of the belt and reversing the same. The said eccentric dogs are provided on their peripheral surfaces lying farthest from the axial centers of their movement with teeth or riffles adapted to more effectively enter into holding relation with the leather of the belt, and at the parts of the periphery nearest to the said pivotal centers of movement the said dogs are pref erably devoid of such toothed or riflled surfaces. The cheek-pieces c are also provided at points adjacent to the dogs with back bearing-rollers c c and between which and the dogs the belt extends, the said rollers c a serving as counter-bearings for the belt when the dogs enter into clutching or gripping relation therewith, as will be understood upon reference to Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The said dogs 0 are so related, furthermore, with the parallel extensions of the belt as when in gripping positions to alternately act on the belt to grip the same. Thus when the piston moves forward one of said dogs acts upon the belt to push the same forward and the second dog passes out of operative relation, and upon the return movement of the piston the said second dog enters into gripping relation with the opposite extension of the belt, continuing the movement of said belt, and inasmuch as the opposite extensions of the belt move in opposite directions, as indicated, the said belt, being an endless belt, is given a continuous movement. Furthermore, inasmuch as the reciprocatious of the piston are, as a rule, at a high rate of speed and the belt is disposed over pulleys, tending to regulate the movement of the said belt, under the natural law of inertia the said belt is given a greater or less speed, but a very regular and smooth movement, this movement being, furthermore, controlled and made smooth when the same is employed in an automobile vehicle by the momentum of the said vehicle transmitted from the wheel-axle to the pulley b Thus I secure a direct and positive transmission of power from the piston to the belt without the intervention of the ordinary cranks, pulleys, shafts, and the like, the power acting upon the piston being in a direct line with the motion of the belt where the same is in contact with the piston, thus avoiding all loss of power due to the angular direction of force common in ordinary engines.

The means for reversing the relations of the gripping-dogs c to the belt d, whereby the movement of said belt will be reversed, and for holding said dogs both free from said belt, so that power will not be transmitted from the piston and the belt will be allowed to stop its movement, I have provided in connection with the torsional springs 6, connected to the pivotal extensions of the dogs, intermeshing gear-wheels e 6, Figs. 2,7, 8. These are arranged on suitable bearings e upon a plate a stationed at any convenient point distant from the engine, say near the seat of an automobile vehicle. One of said intermeshing gear-wheels has on the shaft e therewith a handle or crank a by means of which said axle and gear-Wheel may be turned by hand. This movement of one wheel is communicated to the other, so that the two wheels move simultaneously in reverse direction and cause a corresponding movement to be transmitted to the dogs 0 The amount of movement to be thus transmitted is regulated by a gage-plate f, having stay-recesses IIO f f to receive a tit or projection f on the crank. By turning said crank in one direction or the other a distance regulated by the stay-plate and crank the dogs are correspondingly turned to effect the reverse movements shown in Figs. 5 and 6, or if the crank-teat is stayed at the intermediate recess f the dogs are held away from the belt to prevent further transmission of movement.

The construction of the power-cylinder b and means for directing the piston-impelling fluid into operative contact with the head of the piston c and controlling the movements of said piston are preferably as set forth and described in another application of mine before the office; but it will be evident that the power-transmitting means forming the subject of the present application may be used in connection with any other suitable form of engine.

While I have described in the foregoing specification the construction of parts and operations preferred, I am fully aware that numerous changes of construction and operations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself by thepositive terms employedin connection with the description excepting as the state of the art may require.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a power-transmitting device, a reciprocating part having a frame-like extension, a belt, eccentric dogs and back bearing-rollers pivoted in said extension and arranged to alternately grip said belt as the reciprocating part travels, and means for simultaneously disengaging the said eccentric dogs, said means being adapted by continued movement to bring said dogs into engagement with the belt in reverse order to drive the belt in the opposite direction.

2. The combination with a reciprocating part having a frame-like extension, of eccentric dogs having bearings in said frame-like extension, torsional springs e, e, intermeshing cog-wheels connected to said springs, and means for turning said cogs, whereby the dogs will turn together.

3. The combination with a reciprocating part, and a belt, of belt-gripping means having gripping-dogs, means for reversing the dogs with relation to the belt whereby the direction of movement of the belt will be reversed, said dogs when reversed being adapted to pass through a position in which they are disengaged from the belt, and means for gaging the movement of the reversing means.

4. The combination with a reciprocating part, and a belt, of belt-gripping means having gripping-dogs, and means for reversing the dogs simultaneously, said dogs being adapted to be both disengaged from said belt whereby the motion of the same will be stopped.

5. In combination with a reciprocating part and a belt, of belt-gripping means on said reciprocating part, torsional springs connected with said gripping means, intermeshing cogwheels, and a hand-lever connected to one of said cog-wheels.

6. In combination with a reciprocating part, a belt, and gripping means on said reciprocating part, of cogged or gear wheels e, 2, adapted to turn together in opposite directions, connections of said cogged gear-wheels and said gripping means for changing the relation of the gripping parts to the belt, and means for turning said gear-wheels.

7. In combination with areciprocatin g part furnished with automatic belt gripping means, and a belt, of connections e, e, cogged or gear wheels e, e, handle-crank e and a gage-plate, all arranged and combined substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing'I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of January, 1900.

JOHN G. BLEVNEY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, RUssnLL M. EVERETT. 

